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making an apostle out of a persecutor. But if he remembers the sins that have been wiped away, much more ought we to remember those after baptism. For what defense will we have, or what pardon, when he constantly remembers those for which he is not accountable, while we do not even remind ourselves of those for which we are about to give an account, but leaving our own evils, we meddle in the evils of others? [Hear Peter saying: Depart from me, for I am a sinful man.] Hear how Matthew also accuses his former life, and calls himself a publican, and is not ashamed to parade his former way of life. For since they had nothing to accuse themselves of after baptism, they remembered their former deeds, teaching us to take no account of the evils of others, but to be concerned for our own and continually to turn them over. For there is not, there is not any other such remedy for the removal of sins, as the constant remembrance of them, and the perpetual accusation of them. Thus the publican was able to put away his myriad evils, so that he could say: God, be merciful to me a sinner; thus the Pharisee fell away from all righteousness, because leaving aside the reckoning of his own transgressions, he condemned the world, saying: I am not like the rest of men, extortioners and greedy, nor even as this publican. For this reason Paul also exhorted, saying: But let each one test his own work, and then he will have his boast in himself alone, and not in another. Do you wish to learn also in the Old Testament how the righteous accused themselves? Hear them also speaking in harmony with those others. For David said: My iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me. And Isaiah cried out: Woe is me, for I am a wretched man, being a man and having unclean lips. And the three youths spending time in the furnace, and having delivered their bodies to death for God's sake, counted themselves among the last of sinners, saying: We have sinned, we have committed iniquity; and yet what was more shin56.190 ing, what was purer than they? For even if they had committed some sins, the nature of that flame wiped them all away. But they did not look at their own achievements, but they reckoned up their sins. Thus also Daniel after the lions' den, after the myriad punishments which he endured, even he accused himself, but no one his neighbor. Why ever so? Because he who speaks ill of others, provokes the Master. But he who speaks ill of himself, propitiates and reconciles Him; and He makes the righteous man more righteous, and snatches the sinner from his charges and makes him worthy of pardon. Knowing these things, therefore, let us not meddle in the evils of others, but in our own; let us unfold our conscience, let us remember our whole life, let us scrutinize each of our sins, and not only let us not speak ill of others, but let us not even listen to others speaking ill. For indeed for this too a charge is laid and a very great punishment; For, it says, you shall not receive a false report. It did not say, Do not believe a false report, but, Do not even receive it; block up your ears, wall off the entrance to slander, show that you who listen are no less an enemy and foe to the slanderer than is the one slandered. Imitate the prophet who says thus: Him who slanders his neighbor in secret, I drove away. He did not say, that I did not believe, nor that I did not receive what was said, but I even drove him away, as an enemy and a foe. 10. But there are some, who comfort themselves with a cold comfort, saying thus: Lord, do not hold this sin against me, because I owe a hearing. What need is there of the defense? What need is there of this pardon? Be silent, and you are freed from the charges; say nothing, and you are clean from the struggle. Why do you weave troubles for yourself, both before God, and before men? Why do you make yourself accountable for charges? why the burden

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διώκτου ποιήσας ἀπόστολον. Εἰ δὲ ἐκεῖνος τῶν ἀφανισθέντων ἁμαρτημάτων μέμνηται, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἡμᾶς τῶν μετὰ τὸ βάπτισμα μεμνῆσθαι χρή. Τίς γὰρ ἡμῖν ἀπολογία ἔσται, ἢ ποία συγγνώμη, ὅταν ἐκεῖνος μὲν τῶν ἀνευθύνων μνημονεύῃ συνεχῶς, ἡμεῖς δὲ μηδὲ ὧν μέλλομεν λόγον ὑπέχειν, μηδὲ τούτων ἑαυτοὺς ὑπομιμνήσκωμεν, ἀλλ' ἀφέντες τὰ οἰκεῖα, τὰ ἀλλότρια περιεργαζώμεθα κακά; [Ἄκουσον τὸν Πέτρον λέγοντα· Ἔξελθε ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, ὅτι ἀνὴρ ἁμαρτωλός εἰμι.] Ἄκουσον πῶς καὶ Ματθαῖος τῆς προτέρας ἑαυτοῦ κατηγορεῖ ζωῆς, καὶ τελώνην ἑαυτὸν καλεῖ, καὶ οὐδὲ αἰσχύνεται τὸν πρότερον ἐκπομπεύων βίον. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ οὐδὲν εἶχον κατηγορεῖν ἑαυτῶν μετὰ τὸ βάπτισμα, τῶν προτέρων ἐμέμνηντο, παιδεύοντες ἡμᾶς τῶν μὲν ἀλλοτρίων κακῶν μηδένα ποιεῖσθαι λόγον, τὰ δὲ οἰκεῖα μεριμνᾷν καὶ συνεχῶς ἀναστρέφειν. Οὐ γὰρ ἔστιν, οὐκ ἔστιν οὐδὲν ἕτερον φάρμακον τοιοῦτον πρὸς τὴν τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἀναίρεσιν, ὡς ἡ συνεχὴς αὐτῶν ἀνάμνησις, καὶ ἡ διηνεκὴς αὐτῶν κατηγορία. Οὕτως ὁ τελώνης τὰ μυρία ἠδυνήθη κακὰ ἀποθέσθαι, ἵνα εἴπῃ· Ὁ Θεὸς, ἱλάσθητί μοι τῷ ἁμαρτωλῷ· οὕτως ὁ Φαρισαῖος τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἁπάσης ἐξέπεσεν, ὅτι ἀφεὶς λογίζεσθαι τὰ αὐτῷ πεπλημμελημένα, τὴν οἰκουμένην κατεδίκαζε, λέγων· Οὐκ εἰμὶ ὡς οἱ λοιποὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ἅρπαγες καὶ πλεονέκται, οὐδὲ ὡς οὗτος ὁ τελώνης. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Παῦλος παρῄνει λέγων· Ἕκαστος δὲ δοκιμαζέτω τὸ ἑαυτοῦ ἔργον, καὶ τότε εἰς ἑαυτὸν μόνον τὸ καύχημα ἕξει, καὶ οὐκ εἰς τὸν ἕτερον. Βούλει μαθεῖν καὶ ἐν τῇ Παλαιᾷ πῶς οἱ δίκαιοι κατηγόρησαν ἑαυτῶν; Ἄκουε καὶ τούτων ἐκείνοις συνῳδὰ φθεγγομένων. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ∆αυῒδ ἔλεγεν· Αἱ ἀνομίαι μου ὑπερῆραν τὴν κεφαλήν μου· ὡσεὶ φορτίον βαρὺ ἐβαρύνθησαν ἐπ' ἐμέ. Ὁ δὲ Ἡσαΐας ἐβόα· Οἴμοι ὁ τάλας ἐγὼ, ὅτι ἄνθρωπος ὢν καὶ ἀκάθαρτα χείλη ἔχων. Καὶ οἱ τρεῖς παῖδες ἐν καμίνῳ διατρίβοντες, καὶ τὰ σώματα θανάτῳ διὰ τὸν Θεὸν παραδόντες, ἐν τοῖς ἐσχάτοις τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν ἑαυτοὺς ἠρίθμουν, Ἡμάρτομεν, ἠνομήσαμεν, λέγοντες· καίτοι τί λαμ56.190 πρότερον ἐκείνων, τί καθαρώτερον ἦν; Καὶ γὰρ εἰ καί τινας ἦσαν ἁμαρτίας πεποιηκότες, πάσας ἀπέσμηξε τῆς φλογὸς ἐκείνης ἡ φύσις. Ἀλλ' οὐ πρὸς τὰ κατορθώματα ἑώρων τὰ οἰκεῖα, ἀλλὰ τὰ ἁμαρτήματα ἀνελογίζοντο. Οὕτω καὶ ∆ανιὴλ μετὰ τὸν λάκκον τῶν λεόντων, μετὰ τὰς μυρίας τιμωρίας, ἃς ὑπέμεινε, καὶ αὐτὸς ἑαυτοῦ κατηγόρει, τοῦ δὲ πλησίον οὐδείς. Τί δή ποτε; Ὅτι ὁ μὲν ἑτέρους λέγων κακῶς, παροξύνει τὸν ∆εσπότην. Ὁ δὲ ἑαυτὸν λέγων κακῶς, ἐξιλεοῖ καὶ καταλλάττει· καὶ τὸν δίκαιον δικαιότερον ἀπεργάζεται, καὶ τὸν ἁμαρτωλὸν ἐξαρπάζει τῶν ἐγκλημάτων καὶ συγγνώμης ἄξιον ποιεῖ. Ταῦτ' οὖν εἰδότες, μὴ τὰ ἀλλότρια, ἀλλὰ οἰκεῖα πολυπραγμονῶμεν κακά· ἀναπτύξωμεν ἡμῶν τὸ συνειδὸς, ἀναμνησθῶμεν ἡμῶν τὴν ζωὴν ἅπασαν, ἕκαστον τῶν ἡμαρτημένων ἡμῖν περιεργασώμεθα, καὶ μὴ μόνον μὴ λέγωμεν κακῶς ἑτέρους, ἀλλὰ μηδὲ ἀκούωμεν ἑτέρων λεγόντων κακῶς. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τούτου ἔγκλημα κεῖται καὶ τιμωρία μεγίστη· Ἀκοὴν γὰρ, φησὶ, ματαίαν μὴ παραδέξῃ. Οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἀκοῇ ματαίᾳ μὴ πιστεύσῃς, ἀλλὰ, Μηδὲ δέξῃ αὐτήν· ἀπόφραξον τὰ ὦτα, ἀποτείχισον τῇ κατηγορίᾳ τὴν εἴσοδον, δεῖξον ὅτι τοῦ κατηγορουμένου οὐκ ἔλαττον αὐτὸς ὁ ἀκούων ἐχθρὸς εἶ καὶ πολέμιος τῷ κακῶς λέγοντι. Μίμησαι τὸν προφήτην οὕτω λέγοντα· Τὸν καταλαλοῦντα λάθρα τὸν πλησίον αὐτοῦ, τοῦτον ἐξεδίωκον. Οὐκ εἶπεν, ὅτι Οὐκ ἐπίστευον, οὐδὲ ὅτι Οὐ παρεδεχόμην τὰ λεγόμενα, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀπήλαυνον, ὡς ἐχθρὸν καὶ πολέμιον. ιʹ. Ἀλλ' εἰσί τινες, οἳ ψυχρᾷ παραμυθίᾳ ἑαυτοὺς παραμυθοῦνται, οὑτωσὶ λέγοντες· Κύριε, μὴ στήσῃς μοι τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ταύτην, ὅτι ἀκοῆς λόγον ὀφείλω. Τίς χρεία τῆς ἀπολογίας; τίς χρεία τῆς συγγνώμης ταύτης; Σίγησον, καὶ ἀπήλλαξαι τῶν ἐγκλημάτων· μηδὲν εἴπῃς, καὶ καθαρὸς εἶ τῆς ἀγωνίας. Τί σαυτῷ πράγματα πλέκεις, καὶ παρὰ Θεῷ, καὶ παρὰ ἀνθρώποις; Τί ποιεῖς ὑπεύθυνον ἑαυτὸν ἐγκλημάτων; τί τὸ φορτίον